What is Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Le Morne Brabant) , World Heritage Site in Mauritius

Mauritius is an island nation in the eastern part of Madagascar; during the 18th and 19th centuries, this island was a transit point for the eastern slave trade. In the southwestern part of the island is a rocky mountain called Mount Le Morne, where fugitive slaves called maroons lived. Settlements were built on the top of the mountain and in caves, and the area eventually became known as the “Republic of Maroons“.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains in simple terms why the cultural landscape of Le Morne is a World Heritage Site. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Le Morne!

What is Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Le Morne Brabant) ?

The peninsula southwest of Mauritius is home to the 556-meter-high Mount Le Morne, which is surrounded by a lagoon and offers a spectacular view. Although now famous as a tourist destination, this was actually the hiding place of maroons (fugitive slaves) in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are caves leading to the top of the mountain, which they used as their dwellings. Cave dwellings have been found associated with different regions, including mainland Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.

There is also a sad history of a police officer who, when the decision was made to abolish slavery in Mauritius in 1835, came to inform them, but mistakenly believed he would be caught and jumped off the cliff to his death. Although such hideouts exist all over the world, this one is particularly symbolic and was a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom.

For what reason is the cultural landscape of Le Morne on the World Heritage List?

Le Morne was recognized for

Registration Criteria (iii)
The point is that the maroons hid and lived here, which is evidence that resistance to slavery was taking place.

Registration Criteria (vi)
That it is a place where maroons from all over have fought and sacrificed for freedom.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Thoughts

Today, Le Morne Mountain is a beautiful scenic spot surrounded by a lagoon, but it was also once a hiding place for maroons who escaped from the slave trade. The sad history of the maroons is that they continued to live here and died here.

And while it was wonderful that the slaves were freed, on the contrary, the island ran out of workers, and the current population ratio is the highest among the descendants of Indian immigrants. Mauritius has become a strange nation with many Indian immigrants, even though it is in Africa.

*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.